Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2021 22:39:15 +0000 (UTC) From: Albert Collins Subject: You were there - part 36 Disclaimer: This is a romantic love story about love between young adolescent boys. There are some explicit sex scenes in the story but they are not the main focus of the story. So if you are looking for a story with a lot of explicit sex action, you are in the wrong place. If you like to read a sappy romantic tory with occasional kinky sex scenes, then please sit back and enjoy! Sorry for a longish pause. I hit a bit of writer's slump (which is hopefully over -:) and it took longer than I expected to get back into the writing groove. Thanks again to all those who wrote with comments, encouragement and feedback! Of course, as usual, comments and constructive criticism are welcome! albert.c87@yahoo.com ******************************************* You were there -- Part 36 He was running. Running through darkened hallways of a silent empty building. Densely packed opulent marble columns. High vaulted ceilings. Up, up and up the hard stone winding staircases. His feet and legs ached. His hand tightly clutching a heavy brass keychain. He had the Master Key. They were waiting for him at the Head Office. It was important. The Key, it would work, it would fit in. He just had to get there. Up, up and up the endless stairs. Gotta keep running. Just gotta get there. -------- The next morning the boys woke up around 5am. The forest air was getting a little chilly although Luke and Diego were still nice and warm inside their sleeping bag. They quickly got up and started packing, but not before Luke made them roll naked in the cool dewy grass. Which was good for getting clean, as he claimed. On the way back over the pond Luke rowed again, resuming his customary role. The boys smiled at each other mostly in silence, as Diego observed Luke's lean muscles move rhythmically in the patchy mist. They got back to their room in plenty of time before breakfast. After Luke took his shower, he was standing naked in the bathroom next to the toilet getting ready to pee. Suddenly he felt Diego sneak behind him. Diego's right hand reached around and grabbed Luke's dick lightly. "Come on, Diego," Luke whined, "we haven't got time for this! Please let me go!" "You wanna go?" Diego's warm breath tickled Luke's ear. "Then go!" "Oh, don't you start with me, elfy!" Luke giggled. "Turnabout is fair play," Diego whispered back. He gripped Luke a little tighter. "Okay, okay," Luke surrendered, "just give me a sec." Luke concentrated and in a moment a strong bright yellow steam hit the bowl. They watched it for a few moments. "You know, Luke," Diego quipped slyly, "it is kinda adorable." "Yeah, that's me," Luke snickered as he finished his business and shook off the few remaining drops, "adorable to the last bit!" The boys quickly got dressed and headed to the clubhouse for breakfast. Near the end of the meal Frank came in and approached the breakfast table where the kids were eating. "Diego, when you're done, please come to my office," he requested. "I'll need to drive you to school, to get you registered for the classes next week. The principal is probably going to want to meet you too." "Oh," Diego shot Luke a slight worried glance, "okay, sure, Mr Frank." Luke squeezed Diego's hand reassuringly under the table. "Rafael, you please come with us too," Frank continued. "They want to talk to you 'bout your schedule and extra tutoring as you almost failed math last year." "Tut-tut-tut," Ritchie shook his head, as Rafael displayed a mild smile. "And you're gonna show Diego around while we're there," Frank added, leaving the table. "Yeah, man, gotta learn your fractions," Ritchie declared, elbowing Rafael who was sitting next to him, "or they really are gonna hold you back a year next time." "Cool it, Ritchie," Luke scoffed, "Rafael will be fine! You just worry about shrinking you belt by a fraction as you put your pants on!" Ritchie scowled back a bit but didn't reply. "Umm, Rafael, I can help you out with math if you like," Diego suggested gently. "You wouldn't need to get tutoring at school." "Yeah, man, that's a great idea!" Luke enthused. "Diego here, he's like a science genius, I swear to god!" "Thanks, mi hermanito, thanks," Rafael replied quietly. "Yeah, that'd be cool." Luke flashed Diego a beaming smile. After breakfast was over Diego and Rafael left with Frank to visit the school. Gregg took Toby, Ritchie and the twins for a hike to the pond forest. Luke stayed behind with Yasha, who still had to use the crutches for at least one more day, in the clubhouse to keep him company. Yasha gave it another go trying to get Luke to play chess but eventually had to give up. Although Luke understood the rules he just couldn't get into the game and his mind keep wandering off. "Yasha, little dude," Luke declared moving the chessboard away, "we're gonna do something much more fun than chess!" "Yeah, like what?" Yasha's eyes flashed with suspicion from behind his glasses as he lifted his mop of bushy reddish hair. "You and me, we're gonna build a kite today!" Luke picked up the box that Nia and Jerome gave them and handed it to Yasha. "We are?" Yasha lifted his head in surprise. He turned the box around, eyeing it skeptically. "Yeah!" Luke confirmed emphatically. "You're gonna help me!" "Mmm, okay," Yasha replied noncommittally. "Okay, gotta find the assembly instructions first," Luke opened the box and started looking through it. "Here, that looks like it!" He pulled out a dense booklet and started leafing through it. "Shit, I can't believe it!" Luke exclaimed in frustration after a while. "They haven't gotten one in English here!" "What?" Yasha queried. "You sure?" "Yeah, take a look," Luke handed the booklet to Yasha. "Damn it!" Luke slapped the floor exasperatedly. "Okay, looks like Chinese, Korean, German, French ...," Yasha turned the pages. "You're right, no English." "Have they got Spanish there?" Luke inquired hopefully. "I got B- in Spanish ..." "No, sorry, no Spanish ...," Yasha countered. "Damn it!" Luke repeated. "What were they thinking?!" "Must have fallen out," Yasha suggested logically, "the English one, it must have fallen out. Or else they accidentally forgot to put one in ..." "Yeah, just our luck," Luke chuckled softly. "Well, now we're screwed." "Ummm, I know some French," Yasha volunteered uncertainly. "What? You're kidding me?! How?" Luke exclaimed in disbelief. "My parents, they made me learn some French," Yasha explained reluctantly. "Claimed that a 'cultured person' needed to know French. I hated it ..." "Yasha, buddy, I swear I could French you now!" Luke giggled. "Okay, okay, open it up and start reading!" "All right," Yasha agreed. "Says here that we'll need a screwdriver and a hammer, I think. I guess they got some wooden pieces there or something ..." "Does it say there if we'll need anything else?" Luke checked. "Mmm, no, that looks like it," Yasha replied lifting his eyes from the manual. "Okay, Yasha, buddy," Luke directed, "you wait here, and I'll run to the workshop real quick and get us a screwdriver and a hammer. Okay?" Luke run towards the exit. "Ah, wait, Luke, wait," Yasha called but Luke was already gone. In a little while Luke returned, somewhat out of breath, carrying a tote-bag over his shoulder. "I'm back!" he declared triumphantly. "And I brought us some goodies!" Luke put the bag on the floor next to Yasha. "I thought the workshop was closed today," Yasha commented. "Yeah, it was," Luke confirmed. "But Jerry was working at the barnyard. He let me in." "And if Jerry hadn't been there?" Yasha pressed. "Yasha, little dude," Luke winked at him, "you're too young to know certain things yet, he-he!" Luke emptied the contents of the bag on the carpet. Apart from the hammer and several screwdrivers, he also brought a few pieces of plywood, a couple of chisels, a tape measure, a small hand saw and several tubes of glue. "What's all this for?" Yasha inquired. "You never know," Luke explained. "Might come in handy. Be prepared, right? He-he!" Yasha frowned lightly. "Okay, Yasha, you're the boss now," Luke pronounced. "Start reading what that fancy cultured person's French manual says." "All right," Yasha agreed as he opened the booklet. "Although I'm not sure I know all the words here ..." He leafed through to the right page. "Okay, says here we have to first inventory all the pieces," he added. "Make sure nothing is missing." "Oh, my god," Luke scoffed, "I swear, if they have some pieces missing too I'm gonna scream! ... All right, all right, buddy, let's inventory." "Okay, we need to find planks A, B and C and joints F and G," Yasha started reading. "Yeah, got them!" Luke confirmed, going through the contents of the box and arranging the pieces on the carpet. "What happened to pieces D and E?" Yasha wondered. "Why did they jump over to F?" "Yasha, dude, I got no freaking idea," Luke parried. "I figure somebody got paid really big bucks to make these instructions more confusing." Yasha and Luke finished the inventory. "Hey, Yasha, buddy, we've got all the pieces!" Luke enthused and gave Yasha a hi-five. "Okay, what do we do next?" "Umm, says here attach plank A to charnière ... I think that means hinge .. D using a screw P," Yasha read from the booklet. "Plank A to hinge D using screw P," Luke repeated. "Roger that!" The boys continued working for the next half and hour and, following Yasha's directions, Luke finished constructing a massive eagle shaped kite. "Wow," Yasha uttered with a note of admiration in his usually expressionless voice, "you finished it." "We finished it, Yasha, buddy," Luke corrected him. "We finished it!" He slapped Yasha's shoulder. Yasha gave Luke a tiny smile. Luke lifted the kite and inspected it closely. "Think it's gonna fly?" Yasha inquired. "Yeah, it's gonna fly all right," Luke affirmed. "But something still bugs me here ..." He furrowed his brow. "What is it then?" Yasha moved closer. "I figure it might break," Luke explained. "See these plastic pieces here, they look pretty damn flimsy. I think if the kite gets a hard landing or something, they're gonna break." "Yeah, but the designers, wouldn't they have thought of it?" Yasha countered. "What, the same guys who don't know that the next letter after C is D rather than F?" Luke smirked. "No, we gotta do something here ..." "Errr, like what?" Yasha wondered. "We're gonna make it better!" Luke declared emphatically. He put down the kite, grabbed a couple of pieces of plywood from the flood and started measuring them. "Ah, Luke, you sure?" Yasha inquired skeptically. "Yasha, little buddy," Luke reassured him, "you're just gonna have to trust me! And yeah, I'm sure. We are gonna make it better!" Luke cut the two pieces of plywood with the hand saw and then carefully glued them to the kite. "See, they'll work as shock absorbers," he explained to Yasha. "Will make the kite stronger." "But will it still fly?" Yasha asked dubiously. "Sure it will!" Luke reassured. "The thing is huge. And the pieces I added are really light. It'll fly, no problem, I promise!" He put the assembled kite back on the carpet. At that moment the clubhouse door opened, and Wade, Diego's FBI handler walked in. "Mr Wade!" Luke's jaw dropped. "What are you doing here?!" "Why, Luke, it's nice to see you too," Wade chuckled in response. He was wearing his customary dark grey suit. "Oh, sorry, Mr Wade," Luke apologized, "yeah, nice to see you again. This is Yasha, he's one of our the new Green Oak kids. Yasha, this is Mr Wade. He is Diego's ummm ..." "Case-worker," Wade completed Luke's introduction. "Good to meet you, Yasha. Sorry about your leg. What happened?" "A hiking accident," Yasha replied laconically as he gave Wade a penetrating look. "Yeah, Yasha sprained his ankle on Saturday when we were hiking in the White Mountains," Luke expounded. "Bummer," Wade commented. He turned to Luke. "Luke, kid, you're looking great! Must have had a good summer. School is starting next week, right, guys? Looking forward to it?" "I'm not sure," Luke replied honestly. "Yeah, summer's been fun but it's been getting a bit long ... Is that why you're here, Mr Wade? To see Diego about school?" "Exactly right, Luke," Wade confirmed. "I am passing by and want to check up on Diego. See how's doing and chat about school a bit. Can't stay for long this time, though, maybe a few hours only. Where is he, by the way?" "At school, where else!" Luke quipped cheekily. "Mr Frank took him to register for classes. But they should be back real soon." "Good, good," Wade commented nonchalantly. "What have you guys gotten there?" He pointed towards the kite sitting on the carpet. "Oh, that," Luke picked up the kite and held it up. "It's a kite. Me and Yasha, we just finished building it." "Wow," Wade remarked slowly as he took the kite from Luke. "A golden eagle, eh? Very cool! Wish I had more time to stay around to see you boys fly this thing. Well, maybe next time ..." He put the kite back on the carpet. The clubhouse door opened again, and Frank, Diego and Rafael walked in. "Wade, buddy, that is a surprise!" Frank exclaimed extending his hand to greet Wade. "Yeah, sorry, Frank, I should have called you," Wade shook Frank's hand. "It was a last moment kind of thing and I can only stay for short while this time." Wade turned to Diego and cracked his best sphinx smile: "Diego, kid, it's great to see you again! And now you and me have got almost the same haircut." Wade combed his large bald head with his palm. "I'm flattered!" "Umm, yeah, nice to see you again, Mr Wade," Diego replied politely. He gave Wade and Luke an uncertain look. "Frank Diego, why don't we talk in my office, okay?" Frank suggested. "Luke, you wait for us here. It shouldn't be long." Diego and Luke exchanged silent worried glances and Diego left with Frank and Wade. "So, how did it go?" Luke grabbed Rafael's hand. "Relax, Luke, relax," Rafael reassured him. "Everything was fine. Diego got his schedule. I think you and he have most of the classes together. And he's gonna officially tutor me in math." "Okay, good, that's good," Luke approved. "Do you know if he signed up for the choir or the music club or something?" "Ah, not sure 'bout that," Rafael admitted. "You'll have to ask him." Luke and Yasha showed Rafael the kite they've built and they discussed the plans for flying it and the best locations for doing that. About 25 minutes later Luke saw Diego walk by outside. To Luke's surprise, Diego didn't enter the clubhouse but went straight to the terrace. Luke left Yasha and Rafael, and followed Diego. As Luke entered the terrace, Diego was standing at the far end with his hands on the railing, staring far into the distant south. Luke slowly approached him and stood next to Diego, their fingers almost touching. "A penny for your thoughts?" Luke asked gently turning his head towards Diego. "I hate secrets," Diego's gaze clouded. "They just weigh you down. Like a stone." He fingered the string around his neck that held the turtle pendant under his shirt. "Something Mr Wade said?" Luke uttered with frustration. Diego nodded silently. "But remember, babe, you've got me now!" Luke exclaimed turning Diego towards him. "You've got me! You don't have to carry this stuff alone. And at least I can carry your skinny elf-boy butt, right?" Luke wrapped his arms around Diego and lifted him off the ground for a few seconds. "Like Frodo and Sam, with the One Ring, right?" Diego chuckled lightly when Luke put him down. "Yeah, kinda like that, only better!" Luke replied with a grin. "Whadya mean? Better how?" Diego asked, perplexed. "Well," Luke offered, "I figure Sam was kind of a douchebag. He loved Frodo more than anything, right?" "Yeah," Diego agreed uncertainly. "Right," Luke carried on. "But at the end of the book Sam still sorta left him. To get married to Rosie, so that they can have a bunch of kids. I mean, Rosie was okay, but no way did Sam love her even half as much as he loved Frodo. He should have stayed with him. And kids, they could have adopted some." "From a hobbit adoption agency," Diego commented with a wry smile. "Yeah!" Luke confirmed emphatically. "I'm sure there were plenty of orphan hobbit kids after the big war. They could have adopted some! Point is, Sam should have stayed with Frodo. Maybe then Frodo would've been okay. Wouldn't have had to leave for the Grey Havens." "Hmmm," Diego mused, "maybe you're right." "Of course, I am!" Luke insisted. "But see, Diego, babe, I'm not Sam. I'm not leaving you. And I'm not marrying no stupid Rosie. You and me, we're gonna have a bunch of kids, but they'll be ours!" "Ah, Luke, we're twelve," Diego chuckled, "sorta still kids ourselves. A bit early to plan for that, don't you think?" "Diego, dude, when I'm with you, I feel really ambitious," Luke declared as he hugged Diego's neck and pulled him close. "With you, elf-boy, I wanna have kids and grandkids and great-grandkids, lotsa them. And when you're 90, I wanna wash your feet and clip your nose hair, he-he!" "So, you wanna clip my nose hair, eh?" Diego quipped with a smile. "Guess I'll have to work on getting some then." "Yeah, you do that," Luke encouraged. "But in the meantime I'll settle for washing your cute elf-boy feet!" "Okay then," Diego agreed. "Though I still think you're crazy with all this talk about our kids and grandkids." "No, I'm not.'Cause our love is true," Luke spoke sincerely as he took Diego's hands into his, "what you and I've got, it's all true." "Not all of it," Diego sighed with a sudden sad note in his voice as he turned away. "What??" Luke exclaimed in shock. "That's the thing, Luke," Diego continued, looking down. "You don't even know who I am. You don't even know my name." "Of course, I do, silly!" Luke countered. "You are Diego, the boy I love more than life itself ..." "No, I'm not," Diego cut him off more firmly as he lifted his gaze. "... Diego, that's not my real name. It's just a boy that Mr Wade made up after that car crash. To keep the bad guys away." Diego paused and stroked Luke's palm gently. "Diego Torres, he's not real. I'm not real, Luke. I'm not true. I'm made up." Diego looked down again guiltily. "Oh, my sweet silly elf-boy," Luke laughed softly. "Of course you're real! I don't care that your name wasn't Diego before. You're Diego to me! Everything we've been through here is real! Fidget is real! Roxie is real! The Old Willow is real! The guys here are real! Our love is definitely real!" "Yeah, but ...," Diego hesitated, "I still feel like I should tell you my real name. Don't want to keep it a secret ..." Diego looked at Luke earnestly. "Wait, Diego, wait," Luke spoke with a sudden fear and his face paled. "Just wait ..." Luke put a finger to Diego's lips and paused for a moment. Diego felt Luke's hand tremble. Suddenly the always self-assured confident Luke was gone. Something has changed. Pain and fear crept over Luke's open beautiful face. "Listen, Diego. That other boy, if you say his name, if he comes back ...," Luke swallowed hard. "What if ... what if doesn't like me? What if he ... doesn't love me?" "Come on, Luke," Diego offered a reassuring smile, "you know you're safe on that score, right?" "I can't chance it, Diego, I just can't. I can't lose you now!" Luke stared Diego in the eyes with a pleading pained look. "I've just found you. Please don't take my Diego away. Please don't take ..." With an anguished sob Luke buried his face in Diego's chest. "Sshh-sh," Diego cooed and stroked Luke's hair gently. "I'm still here. Not going anywhere. Of course I'll be your Diego as long as you want me to. And if you ever want me to tell you about, you know, before, I'll tell you. Okay, babe?" Luke gradually stopped sobbing although he still tightly clutched his arms around Diego's torso. "Okay," he sniffed. " Sorry for going psycho on you, elf-boy. I know it's stupid but ... I just can't help it ...," Luke lifted his tear-streaked face and smiled at Diego in embarrassment. "And you're right. Maybe later, when I'm sure. That you aren't going to disappear. Maybe then I'll ask you for that name. But not before." "It's a deal!" Diego chuckled gently. The boys separated and sat down in the adjacent chairs by one of the terrace tables. "So, what did you think about the school?" Luke inquired after a quiet pause. "It was big," Diego commented, "much bigger than I thought it was gonna be. But I kinda liked it." "Yeah, us country bumpkins are not such country bumpkins!" Luke joked. "Rafael said we've got most of the classes together." "Mr Frank has our schedules, but I think that's right," Diego confirmed. "I asked them to keep us together. I think we only got like one class difference on Friday or something ..." "Cool, man, that's great," Luke remarked approvingly. "I'll need to make sure that you won't get to any mischief, he-he! Hey, did you sign up for the choir or the piano or any of the music stuff?" "Umm, no, not yet," Diego looked away. "I thought I'd wait. Look around a bit first." "Really?" Luke raised his head in surprise and gave Diego a sharp look. "Well, maybe you're right ... Just until you get you bearings there ..." Luke moved closer to Diego and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. -- After lunch Frank motioned Luke and Diego that he wanted to talk to them. "Luke, kid," Frank started, "I've got a job for you." "Yes, Mr Frank?" Luke looked up with interest. "I want you to go to the Community Center library, you know the one on Elm Street," Frank explained. "Yeah, sure, Mr Frank, of course I know it!" Luke confirmed. "Right," Frank continued. "Anyway, they've got another batch of books there they are donating to Green Oaks. I want you to get 'em. And take Diego with you. I figure you're our most avid reader, so this job is right down your alley. Think you can do that?" "Sure thing, Mr Frank," Luke exclaimed excitedly. "Come on, Diego, we're getting more books, how cool is that!" He pulled Diego by the hand towards the exit before he could respond. "Take your backpacks with you, just in case," Frank called after them. "Yeah, okay, Mr Frank," Luke called back. "We don't really have to," Luke commented as they walked towards their cottage, "take our backpacks, I mean. I brought books from there before and they always have them already packed in bags. Still, a promise is a promise." The boys stopped by their room and got their backpacks which they had to empty first from all the stuff they packed for previous night's trip. "This library, is it far?" Diego inquired. "And how are we getting there?" "Nah, not really far," Luke replied. "Maybe 25 minutes by foot. We could take the bikes but I figure we'd just walk. I mean with the bikes, we'd have to use the sidewalks anyway. Too much of a hassle. And if we walk we can talk, right?" "Right," Diego agreed. He knew that Luke was not a fan of the bikes and he himself was also feeling curious about taking a walk through the town. As they exited the Green Oaks complex, it occurred to Diego that he'd only been outside a few times since his arrival there. He looked around with interest. Most of the way the were walking along a gently sloping down hill. The houses looked neat and well kept, with large lawns and back yards and lots of trees along the way. In a few places they passed kids and dogs playing outside, but for the most part the neighborhood seemed pretty quiet. "Probably not a whole lot of poor people live here," Diego reflected to himself as he continued to look around. "You know, Diego, babe," Luke remarked as they walked down, "I figure this library trip is just the right occasion for a certain educational project I've been wanting to do with you for a while. In fact, I think I sorta promised it to you." Like giggled wickedly. "Eh, whadya mean?" Diego asked with a sudden worry in his voice. "Remember that porn video you watched on your phone?" Luke grinned broadly. "Yeah?" Diego blushed and looked down. "What 'bout it?" "Remember what I told you then?" Luke queried. "Err, that I shouldn't use my phone or our computer for that kind of stuff," Diego admitted ruefully. "Because Mr Frank has these tracking programs that check which websites we visit." "Right. And what else? What else did I say then?" Luke pressed mercilessly. "Umm, let's see," Diego tried to recall. "You said that if I ever wanted to watch one of those videos I should use a computer in ... No, Luke, come on, we can't!" Diego stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh, yes, we can!" Luke grinned like a Cheshire Cat. "Trust me Diego, babe, it'll be okay! And, it'll be e-d-u-c-a-t-i-o-n-a-l! That's what a library is for, right?" Luke giggled again. "Oh, god!" Diego groaned as they continued walking. "Just take it easy, babe, and follow my lead," Luke wrapped his arm around Diego's neck. "Trust me, it really is gonna be all right!" Diego shook his head silently but didn't protest further. Eventually they reached what appeared to be one of the main streets, with traffic lights, banks and office buildings densely packed along it. Luke turned into that street and after a few blocks the boys approached the Community Center. The Center was located in a sprawling two-story red-brick building with several wings, with the library occupying one of the wings on the ground floor. Luke confidently walked in and, after nodding to the security guard, headed in the direction of the "Library" sign. Diego followed him closely. As they entered the library proper, next to a small wooden counter they saw an elderly portly woman in her sixties with long gray hair and a kind face creased by a multitude of small wrinkles. "Hi, Ms B!" Luke greeted her brightly. "Ah, Luke, honey, long time no see!" the woman smiled at Luke warmly. "Come, give me a hug!" Luke happily obliged. "And who's is this with you?" she turned to Diego. "This is Diego," Luke explained, "he came to Green Oaks in the beginning of June and we are now rooming together." Diego nodded shyly. "Welcome, Diego, dear, welcome!" she hugged Diego as well. "I'm Barbara, but as you might have guessed I mostly go by 'Ms B'." "Nice to meet you, Ms B," Diego replied politely. "Right," Barbara continued smiling at Diego. "Diego, dear, you've got the loveliest eyes!" Diego blushed beet red as he heard Luke snicker next to him. "Actually, you do too, Luke, sweetie," Barbara continued. The snickering stopped. "You both do!" "Umm, Ms B, Mr Frank told us you've got some books for us to take, right?" Luke changed the subject. "Ah, yes, of course, a donation for Green Oaks," Barbara confirmed. "Here they are!" She leaned down and placed two stacks of books on the counter. "Hope you kids like them!" "Wow!" Luke exclaimed enthusiastically. "That's really a lot! Thanks, Ms B!" He started looking through the books at the counter avidly. Diego stood next to Luke and picked a few books as well, leafing through them slowly. Most books in the two stacks looked fairly old and well worn out. "Hey, what's wrong with this one?" Diego inquired, lifting a nicely colored paperback. "It looks pretty new and in good shape. Why are you giving it away?" "Ah yes, that one," Barbara explained, "yeah, it's a shame what happened. Somebody who borrowed it to read spilled a whole cup of coffee when the book was opened in the middle. So a bunch of pages got kinda icky although one can still read them. But the rules say that we've got to throw it out or give it away now ..." "And so us rejects are getting it!" Luke declared blithely. "Oh, Luke, honey, it's not like that ...," Barbara protested awkwardly. "That's okay Ms B," Luke reassured, "I'm glad we're getting it! What's it about, Diego?" "Umm, it'c called 'The Boy of the Painted Cave'," Diego replied, "let's see ...," he turned the book to the back cover. "About a boy called Tao who lived in prehistoric times. Didn't want to hunt the animals, like the mammoth and the bear. Did't wanna kill them." "Sounds like you, Diego, he-he," Luke commented with a chuckle. "He wanted to paint them," Diego continued. "Sounds like you, Luke!" Diego lifted his eyes and smiled at Luke. "Yeah, maybe our long forgotten common ancestor," Luke reflected. "We should definitely read this one! Hey, thanks, Ms B!" "You are welcome, honey!" Barbara smiled warmly and patted Luke's shoulder. "Ah, Ms B," Luke added, "would it be okay if me and Diego hang around here for a bit? Look at some books. Maybe even find something educational to see?" Diego looked away as he felt his ears flush with heat in embarrassment but Luke was completely nonplussed. "Of course, Luke, dear, of course," Barbara agreed readily, "you boys stay as long as you like!" "Cool, thanks Ms B!" Luke grabbed Diego's hand and pulled him away. "We're going straight to hell!" Diego whispered, his ears still blushing red. "No, we're going to a computer terminal," Luke countered. "There, in the corner. For a bit of educational web browsing." The computer was in the far corner of the room, conveniently separated by a mat screen. The library was deserted and after Barbara had left, Luke and Diego appeared to be the only one there. Luke pulled up a chair to the terminal and plopped onto it. "Getty up!" he pointed to Diego towards his lap. Diego sighed but obediently settled in Luke's lap. Luke held Diego with his left hand and started typing and using the mouse with his right. "So, what do we do now?" Diego asked cautiously. "First thing," Luke explained, "we gotta turn down the volume. These porn clips are always so damn loud. Don't wanna attract unwanted attention." Luke giggled wickedly and Diego sighed uncomfortably again. "Relax, dude, relax!" Luke reassured him as he muted the volume on the computer. "Like I said, we're just gonna do a bit of educational browsing. I mean it, man! You gotta learn about this stuff somehow." "You sure they got no site blockers here?" Diego tried to stall. "No, man, that's what I've been telling you!" Luke retorted. "It's like complete Stone Age, I swear! Here, watch!" Luke opened one of the gay porn sites and immediately clicked on a clip. "Ewww-w, an old hairy butt!" Diego recoiled in disgust. "He-he, Diego, babe, you gotta be more open-minded," Luke rolled in laughter. "Someday I'll probably have an old hairy butt." "Yours is never gonna be THAT hairy," Diego commented loyally, eliciting another round of laughter from Luke. "I thought we were supposed to keep quiet," Diego whispered anxiously. "Sorry, dude, you're right," Luke quieted down. "Okay, okay, let's look for something less old and less hairy. We'll try 'Twinks'." He clicked on the 'Twinks' icon and the screen displayed several rows of thumbnails of clips of younger guys having sex. Luke clicked on one of them and started playing the video. Two skinny college age looking boys were going at it with gusto. Very carefully Luke slowly turned up the volume a bit. Luke and Diego watched the video for a few minutes in silence. "Whadaya think?" Luke finally inquired. "I donno," Diego replied uncertainly. "It was sorta sexy for a bit but then ... I'm not sure ... It got boring pretty quick." "Yeah, exactly," Luke agreed. "These guys aren't that cute. They are not really into each other. And they aren't great actors either. So yeah, it gets boring real quick." Luke scrolled the video forward towards the end. "Wait, why did they ...," Diego hesitated. "Why did the top guy pulled out at the end and ..." "Why did he jerk off and cum on the boy he'd been fucking?" Luke finished Diego's question. Diego nodded silently. "I donno Diego, man, I'm not really sure," Luke explained. "I think it's some stupid rule that these videos have. So that you can see that the guy did cum. I think it's really dumb!" "Yeah," Diego agreed. "I mean, we don't do that ..." Diego suddenly realized what he just said and his cheeks burned with red heat. "No, we certainly don't!" Luke chuckled as he rubbed his cheek against Diego's and then chewed on Diego's ear lightly. Diego whimpered and Luke mercifully released him. "Okay, okay, let's watch another one," Luke suggested. He opened another clip and started playing it. "This one has the 'Sean Cody' logo," Luke commented. "I think it's like a gay porn studio with really fit college guys. Like these two dudes, he-he!" They peered at the screen where a ripped young black boy was pounding the ass of his white buddy with loud grunts and voluble cursing. Luke let the clip play to the end uninterrupted, "Well? ..." he solicited Diego's opinion as the video finished. "It was ... better," Diego admitted. "Yeah?" Luke giggled gently. "What did you like 'bout it?" "Well ...," Diego hesitated, "I really liked that it was a black boy and a white boy together. It was nice." "Good, good," Luke encouraged. "I agree. The black dude, man, he was hot! What else?" "I liked that they tried lotsa different things," Diego added, blushing. "Ah, gives you ideas, right?" Luke chuckled. "Didn't I tell you it was gonna be educational?! Okay, what else?" "I liked that their butts weren't hairy," Diego broke into laughter and Luke quickly joined him. "Okay, okay, dude, let's keep it together," Luke got a hold of himself. "Anything you didn't like?" "Umm, didn't much like all that cussing," Diego offered. "Sounded kinda fake." "That's right," Luke agreed. "I thought so too. The dudes aren't great actors." "And ...," Diego hesitated, "I really didn't like it when the top guy put his hands around the throat of the other one and started squeezing. Like he was throttling him or something. I really hated that ..." "Yeah, that was really weird," Luke admitted. "Guess some guys think it's hot. But you're right, I don't get it. I mean you wouldn't do that to someone you love ... Anyway those two guys, I'm sure they got paid pretty well and went back to fuck their girlfriends that same night." "What do you mean, their girlfriends?!" Diego turned in Luke's lap in shock. "Dude, this place, Sean Cody, I think almost all the guys they use are straight!" Luke declared with glee. "Straight?! Ewww-w! In gay porn videos?" Diego protested. "That's gross!" "Oh, I donno," Luke chuckled. "Serves them right, I think." Diego shook his head skeptically. "All right, let's watch one more," Luke suggested. He went back to the main screen and clicked on a clip which said "Dan and Gabriel". "Wow, these boys are cute!" Luke commented appreciatively. "The hispanic one, Gabriel, I think he looks kinda like you, Diego. Only he's got more hair on his head." Luke giggled. "And of course you are a lot cuter!" "He is beautiful," Diego uttered quietly. Luke gave Diego a quick sharp look. "And he's got a necklace with some kinda pendant too," Diego added. "It's not a turtle, though," Luke remarked. "Can't make out what that is ... And the other boy, Dan, he hasn't got any ..." Luke and Diego continued watching the clip in silence. "Well, Mr Movie Critic," Luke queried with a quiet chuckle. "What's your opinion about this one?" "It was pretty amazing," Diego spoke softly. "Not like the previous one at all." "Yeah, these boys, they're actors but they're both gay," Luke commented in agreement. "You could see the difference right off." "They're actors?" Diego wondered. "Yeah, they are," Luke confirmed. "Or 'models' I think they call it. The cute Latin boy, Gabriel, I figure I've seen him in a bunch of others too. Not as good as this one, though. Anyway, what did you like the most?" "Oh," Diego considered. "I really liked that they were kissing like all the time. You know while they were making love. It was sweet." "Yeah, man, yeah!" Luke agreed enthusiastically. "That's what made it really hot! Okay, what else?" "Well," Diego continued. "I liked that they didn't just suck and fuck. Not like in the other videos. They kissed and felt each other all over. And Gabriel he kissed that other boy's ..." "Dan," Luke suggested helpfully. "Yeah, Dan's neck and body, before you know they really got started ...," Diego trailed off for a moment. "He-he, I think that's how you're supposed to get started," Luke commented. "All right, anything else?" "They didn't trash talk," Diego scratched his nose lightly. "Didn't fake moan either. They were mostly quiet. And it sorta looked like they were really caught in the moment." "It did look like that, didn't it?" Luke allowed. "Okay, babe, go ahead." "Also," Diego got braver, "I really liked that they were so nice to each other. You know, while they were doing it. Like Dan, he was always stroking and caressing Gabriel's body. His back, his shoulders, his chest ..." "And his hair," Luke continued with a soft chuckle. "Yeah, and his hair," Diego confirmed. "It was very sweet. The other boys, in the first two videos, they weren't doing that ... And then at the very end, the way they snuggled together ... It really reminded me of ..." "Yes?" Luke pressed with a grin. "Of how we snuggle after we make love," Diego finished, blushing brightly again. "Diego, babe, a couple of things," Luke declared turning Diego in his lap to face him. "First off, you've got a great taste in porn! I mean it, babe!" Luke kissed the blushing Diego on the lips. "Second, when I called you Mr Movie Critic, I was right! Man, I think you should write a book about this stuff, I really do!" "A teenager's guide to tasteful porn," Diego quipped sweetly. "Exactly!" Luke enthused. "I'm sure it'd be a huge hit!" "I still can't believe those boys were actors," Diego changed the subject. "They seemed so real ..." "Yeah, I guess sometimes it happens," Luke reflected. "I mean that the boys who are actors really click. Truly connect. Not often, though. With Dan and Gabriel, you could still see that they were acting, right? Not really in love. Still, there was something there ..." "Ah, Luke, about the boys in the second video," Diego asked slowly, "I still don't get it. If they're straight, how could they ... How did they ..." Diego's voice trailed off. "You mean how did they get hard and keep it up?" Luke finished Diego's question. "While having sex with each other?" Diego nodded silently. "Diego, dude, I'm gonna tell you a big secret now," Luke chuckled. "Most guys, almost all guys in fact, aren't as straight as they think." "Oh, come on, Luke," Diego started protesting. "You don't mean that. What about Ritchie?" "Yes, Diego, even Ritchie!" Luke confirmed emphatically. "Ah, I think I'm gonna puke," Diego slipped off from Luke's lap. "No, Diego, listen," Luke grabbed Diego's hand. "Guys, they are just like dogs. They will hump anything. A horny teenage boy like Ritchie will hump a fucking car tire to get his rocks off." "Now I'm definitely gonna puke," Diego declared. "And he's definitely gonna hump another living person," Luke ignored Diego's remark, "no matter if it's a boy or a girl. Those two straight boys in the Sean Cody video, they just made their peace with it. And then made some bucks off it too. I say good for them! You get it now?" Luke released Diego's hand. "You're really saying that Ritchie is a little bit gay? Or at least bi?" Diego stared at Luke in disbelief. "I donno what to call it," Luke parried. "I'm sure that given the choice Ritchie will always have sex with a girl and not with a guy. But I also know that when he's horny enough, yeah, he can have sex with a guy. And even enjoy it too." "Wow," Diego remarked after a long pause, "I guess I have to start being more careful ..." They both broke into wicked giggles. As they quieted down, Diego's expression suddenly turned serious. "Wait, Luke," Diego asked bashfully. "You don't think that maybe ... that's what we've been? Just a pair of horny boys?" He looked down in embarrassment. "Diego, dude, come here, babe," Luke chuckled softly as he pulled Diego back into his lap and wrapped his arms around him tightly. "Oh, my silly, silly elf-bunny!" Luke gently nuzzled Diego's neck. "Of course I don't think that!" "Yeah, but how do you know?" Diego continued staring down. "Well, what are you thinking about right now?" Luke held Diego tighter. "How good it feels when you're holding me," Diego admitted shyly. "And how good you always smell ... And how soft your hair is. And how sweet and smart you are. And how much I like being with you. And ..." "Okay, dude, stop, stop," Luke laughed heartily as he kissed Diego on the lips softly. "Please stop! You're killing me!" Luke let Diego down on the floor. "See, you weren't thinking about blowing your load, were you?" Luke inquired with a giggle. "Ah, well, no, I wasn't ...," Diego blushed profusely and looked down again. "That's 'cause we're in love!" Luke's eyes twinkled with brilliant green sparkle. "Get it now?" "Yeah, I guess I do," Diego raised his eyes and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry. Didn't wanna be a horny bastard." "It's okay," Luke laughed softly as he stood up and kissed Diego again. "And there are times when I want you to be!" Luke pulled out a phone from his pocket and checked it briefly. "Whew, look at the time!" he exclaimed in astonishment. "We've been here over an hour already. We should really scram and get going before Mr Frank sends a search party after us!" The boys quickly got back to the front desk of the library, picked up the books donated to Green Oaks, said their goodbyes to Barbara and left. "So, Diego, dude," Luke inquired with a grin as they were walking back towards Green Oaks, "was our library trip educational, he-he?" "In more ways than one!" Diego confirmed as he gave Luke a light shove in the ribs. The boys shared a hearty chuckle. "Umm, Diego," Luke asked in a more serious tone after a while. "Something else I wanna ask you." Luke caught Diego's hand and held it as they continued walking. "Yeah, Luke?" Diego turned his head. "It's about the moose. On Saturday," Luke explained quietly. "I want you to tell me what happened." "Oh," Diego's hand tensed. "I mean you were there too, right?" "Yeah, but," Luke persisted gently. "I wanna know how you saw it. How you felt. How it was for you." "Luke, I don't know if I can," Diego sighed with reluctance. "I don't really understand it myself ..." "Tell me anyway," Luke pressed earnestly. "Please. I really wanna know." "Well," Diego started uncertainly, "it felt really ... weird ..." "Did you, like, read his thoughts or something?" Luke interrupted. "No, no, it wasn't like that at all," Diego countered. "There were no thoughts, no words or anything. Just a feeling. A presence. ... Very powerful ... and strange ... kinda alien." "What?! Alien? How so?" Luke demanded. "Umm, maybe alien isn't the right word," Diego tried to back off, "but see, the moose, he did know that he was dying. I was sure 'bout that. And he was bummed about it. Sad, real sad." Diego paused trying to find the words. "But he wasn't like people. He didn't have his life flash in front of him or anything. Didn't think about all the moose calf kids he had in the past or could have had in the future. He was just ... there. In the moment. Being in the moment, you know. Sad. And in pain." "Wow," Luke reflected pensively. "Wow ... So, what did you do?" "Honestly, I have no idea," Diego sighed. "Maybe nothing ... I tried to make him feel better, more at peace, take the pain away somehow ... And ..." Diego paused again. "And what?" Luke urged on. "And in my mind I sorta started singing to him," Diego finally added. "Real quiet like." "No shit!" Luke exclaimed as he grabbed Diego's hands and squeezed between his palms. "What did you sing?" "'Silent Night'," Diego volunteered with a slightly embarrassed smile. "Fuck me!" Luke exclaimed again. "And? ..." "And ... I donno, you were there too, right?" Diego replied uncertainly. "The moose, he seemed to get quieter. More at peace. Not sure if it was 'cause of anything that I did ... And ..." "Yeah?" Luke waited. "And ... I felt real tired," Diego averted his gaze down. "And I sorta felt pressure. In my forehead ..." "Shit!" Luke exhaled, still holding Diego's hands. "I donno, maybe it was nothing, maybe it's all in my head," Diego continued looking down. "Maybe Mr Gregg is right ..." "No, Diego, listen," Luke listed Diego's chin with his finger. "It's like you said, I was there too. I saw it. It was real! You did make that moose feel better! Just when he really needed it." Luke spoke with burning conviction: "Doesn't matter what Mr Gregg says. Doesn't matter how you did it. It just matters that you did. I know it and I want you to know it too!" Luke took Diego in his arms and held him in a warm embrace. "Thanks, Luke," Diego whispered as he rested his chin on Luke's shoulder. "You don't think I'm weird?" "You're weird, babe!" Luke separated from Diego and grinned a playful sparkle in his green eyes. "One of the many reasons I love you!" They continued walking in silence for a few more minutes. "You know, Diego," Luke stopped and turned to face Diego. "What you just told me. Thank you. Thank you for trusting me with that, man." Luke again embraced Diego in a warm hug. "And I think it's super awesome that you got it! Your elf-boy power, I mean. Even if you don't wanna call it that." "You don't think I'm a freak?" Diego asked with a shy smile. "Oh, god, no!" Luke kissed Diego tenderly. "Well maybe just a little, he-he! My sexy kinda freak!" He chuckled. "But listen, Diego," Luke continued more earnestly. "What you just told me, I don't think you should tell this stuff to Mr Gregg. Or even to Mr Frank. Adults, they wouldn't understand. Or worse, they'll try to study you or something. We don't wanna see you hooked up to a hundred wires and a hundred fucking beeping monitors, do we now?" "No, we don't," Diego's face suddenly paled. "We definitely don't. Thanks, Luke. Thanks." He hugged Luke back. "Good, that's settled then," Luke declared with satisfaction. "Now, let's go home." The boys continued walking up the hill towards Green Oaks. *****************